


It Takes a Village

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 18:26:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2438516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If they were gonna have a fight she at least needed a drink.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Takes a Village

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the alphabet meme and [](http://katewallace.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://katewallace.livejournal.com/)**katewallace** ’s prompt of **J is for Jack**. In my fanon universe, Haley and Sam Kassmeyer survive George Foyet’s attack. Spoilers for 100.

“Is he asleep?” Jessie asked as Emily came down the stairs.

“He's out like a light. It was quite a day, both adventurous and scary.”

“Do you want tea, baby?” Hotch asked from the kitchen.

“Definitely.” Emily nodded.

When she and Jessie sat at the table, it seemed as if they both let out the breath they were holding. The day was long and Emily was glad it was over. It was surely a two clove night but that wouldn’t happen until Jessie and Sam left. She wouldn’t smoke around a pregnant woman. Would it be rude to ask them to leave? Sighing, Emily ran her hands over her face.

“Are you alright, Emily?” Jessie put her hand on Emily’s shoulder.

“You're the one carrying the load…don’t worry about me.”

“I'm fine.” She smiled. “You know from experience that you get used to it. I'm not too far along yet.”

Jessie was just reaching the fifth month of her pregnancy. The glow of happiness was unmistakable. No one glowed like a pregnant woman.

“It was really strange after Bree was born.” Emily replied. “I had to get used to not being pregnant.”

Jessie smiled as Hotch put tea in front of both woman and coffee in front of Sam. He sat at the table too.

“What a day.” He said.

“We got through it with a good amount of teamwork.” Sam replied. “And Jack’s going to be fine.”

“When I heard he’d been in an accident…” Hotch closed his eyes. “I could hardly breathe. I wanted to be there; I should've been there.”

“You're here now.” Emily took his hand. “We have a whole village and they really came through today.”

Jack’s kindergarten class went on a field trip to the Dinosaur Museum that afternoon. On the way home, the bus was in an accident. While no one was killed, thankfully, several children were shaken and injured. Jack broke his arm. Jessie was the first person the school called…she was his next of kin.

When Jessie got the call she’d just arrived at the OBGYN for a checkup. She didn’t want to call Haley and worry her. It had been a year since George Foyet attacked and nearly killed her. She was still recovering physically and mentally. Though she’d remarried and done her best to move on with her life, stress was never a good thing for her fragile physical state.

So Jessie called Gregory Prentiss. Haley agreed, reluctantly, to have he and Natalie Prentiss placed as her son’s second next of kin in case of emergency after Jessie and Sam. She hated that she couldn’t always take care of her son but knew that Jack’s safety was more important than her ego. Gregory rushed to the hospital to be with Jack.

He called Hotch and Emily on his way to DC. Hotch was in Philadelphia for the day with Rossi revisiting a cold case. Emily was at Quantico and though she wanted to rush out to her stepson, she left things in her father’s capable hands. Gregory told her not to worry…he would handle everything.

“You're far away.” Jessie said to her brother-in-law.

“I'm fine.”

It was a lie, everyone could tell, but no one was prepared to start an argument about it. Today had been stressful enough. Jessie just finished her tea and stood to stretch her weary limbs.

“We should probably go, Sam.”

“Yeah, of course.”

Even though he was only halfway through his coffee, he stood as well. Every time he grabbed the cane he was still walking with a year after he was almost killed attempting to protect Haley and Jack from George Foyet, Hotch cringed. He knew he should be happy that Sam was alive; he was happy. But he felt such guilt that Sam nearly gave his life for another man’s family.

He was rewarded greatly in Haley’s and his survival. George Foyet had lost…he injured people but no one died. Then Sam met and fell in love with Jessie. Hotch didn’t think he’d ever saw two people more made for each other. That did nothing to quell the guilt. Nothing ever would probably.

“I’ll walk you guys out.” Emily went to stand but Jessie stopped her.

“We’re fine. You guys just relax. Are you going to keep Jack home tomorrow or should I come by to get him for school?” she asked.

“Give us a call in the morning.” Hotch replied.

Nodding, Jessie kissed both Hotch and Emily’s cheeks. Sam shook Hotch’s hand, blew Emily a kiss, and then they left. Emily immediately went to her drawer. She lit a clove, inhaling deeply. Her husband looked at her and Emily immediately recognized his expression. She didn’t know if she had the energy for the kind of night this could turn out to be.

“Jack is fine, Aaron.” She said, walking back to the table.

“He could’ve been severely injured.”

“Yes, but he wasn’t. Do you think you could’ve prevented the accident? I hope that’s not what you're thinking because it’s a little ridiculous.”

“I'm thinking I should've been there for my son but I was working. I'm always working.”

“How much longer are you going to keep doing this to yourself?” Emily asked.

“What?”

“What? You’re seriously asking me what?”

“Yes I am.” Hotch said.

She didn’t like his tone. To hell with the tea, Emily went to the counter and grabbed the bottle of Grey Goose. Then she went to the refrigerator for the orange juice. She poured herself a screwdriver and gave him a small glass of Maker’s Mark. If they were gonna have a fight she at least needed a drink.

“You constantly beat yourself up because you think you're not there for Jack. Hell, I don’t know if you don’t think you're there for Bree either but…”

“That’s not fair, it’s not fair dammit!” he exclaimed. “I don’t love one child anymore than the other and you know that!”

“Lower your voice.” She hissed.

“You accuse me of loving Jack more than Sabrina and you want me to lower my damn voice.”

“Stop it, Aaron. You're picking a fight with me because you want something to control. I'm not going there tonight, I swear to God.”

She walked back over to the counter, focusing her eyes on the outlet above the sink. She could feel the tears coming but she did her best to hold them at bay. Emily’s hand shook as she held the clove to her lips, inhaling again. She didn’t have the strength for this. How much more of this did he think she could take?

“I think you need to see someone.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Don’t play dumb; it doesn’t suit you. I can't keep doing this…I love you but I cannot. I can't pull you back from the edge every time something happens. Something is always going to happen because that’s life. If you always want to be there for Jack and Bree then be a stay at home dad, Hotch.

“If you want to be in the BAU, which I think you do, then you have to reconcile the fact that you won't always be there. Do you think it’s easy for me to get up in the morning and leave my kids? Do you think I don’t constantly think about what I'm missing? Do you know how scared I am that I could leave one day and never come back?”

“I will always protect you.” Hotch got up from the table. He tried to put his arms around her but Emily moved away.

“It’s not about that, Aaron. I'm talking about my feelings, not yours. Everything isn’t always about you.”

“Well that was unnecessary.”

“Was it? Sometimes I just think that you think you're the only one with a daily struggle. We all have one…every single one of us.”

“I don’t want to fight.” Hotch mumbled, holding up his hands as he walked away from her.

“Good, that makes two of us.” Emily added ice to her drink. “I've had a long and stressful day, and I know you have too. All I want to do is run a hot bath, have this drink, put in Moondance and forget that I have to do it all over again in the morning. Maybe I’ll keep the kids home, call in sick, and just have a three day weekend.”

“That might be a good plan. I’ll run your water if you want me to.”

“I don’t.” she shook her head, walking past him and up the stairs.

Hotch watched her go, fighting the urge to punch a hole in the wall. He had no idea how the conversation got there. He never seemed to know. Arguments and silence were coming more often than not these days with Emily. Every time Hotch tried to ask why, he couldn’t get the words out.

What the hell was happening to his world and his marriage? He needed to take a deep breath, back up, and examine things. But that was difficult while running the BAU. There just wasn’t enough time…they were always being called away. Now they seemed to be growing farther apart from each other.

Emily was just as much a workaholic as he was. She just seemed better able to compartmentalize. She could put on her FBI Agent hat, her mom hat, her daughter hat, and her wife hat. Why couldn’t he do that? What was wrong with him that he just couldn’t get it together for the people he loved? No, he needed to get it together for himself. If he couldn’t get it together then he was going to lose everything.

***

_She’s got a fine sense of humor when I'm feelin low down_  
And when I come to her when the sun goes down  
Take away my trouble, take away my grief  
Take away my heartache in the night like a thief  
She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love  
She gives me love, love, love, love, crazy love

Emily was glad to have the rag over her eyes to catch the tears falling from her eyes. She’d been petrified when her dad called and told her what happened to Jack. He didn’t come from her womb, and Emily walked a fine line when it came to mothering him, but he was her son. Luckily, it was just a broken arm. He was in some pain but seemed more excited about people being able to sign his cast.

She wanted to hold onto him and never let go. Emily was sure that Haley wanted to do the same…maybe she would take Jack over to her place in the morning. The two women had never been friends, it was a difficult situation, but this wasn’t about them. It was about Jack. Most things were about her kids these days, and that suited Emily fine.

She relished being a mother to a five year old and a six-month old. She loved being Aaron Hotchner’s wife. Despite what happened in the kitchen, despite it all, she loved that man more than anything. It hadn't been an easy ride for them ever. From the moment he called her after they got back from Milwaukee, bumpy was the best way to describe it. Part bliss, part hell on Earth, with a little bit of Kevlar thrown in for good measure, Hotch and Emily were used to trying times.

But since George Foyet escaped from prison and went on his vengeful rampage, nothing would ever be the same. Hotch couldn’t move past it. It wasn’t an easy thing to move past, surely, but everyone else was doing their best in a variety of ways. Time went on and Hotch stood still. Soon Emily feared she would walk right past him.

That scared the hell out of her. She’d feared losing him from the moment he came into her life. Tonight it felt more real than ever. Emily sighed when she felt her husband’s hand slide over hers on the rim of her antique bathtub. She didn’t move when Hotch bent down to kiss her hand. Then he rubbed his cheek against it.

“I'm sorry.” Hotch whispered.

“Don’t apologize to me.”

“Emily…”

“Just don’t, OK? This isn’t about apologies and all of that. This is about getting the help you need so that you can keep going as a husband, father, and man.”

“I know.”

“Do you really know?” Emily asked. “Because you’ve said that more than once and this is just getting worse.”

She wanted to holler that she wanted her happiness, dammit! After all that she’d gone through in her life, this was supposed to be her happiness. She had the most amazing man in her life. She had two beautiful children whom she loved more than she ever thought it was possible to love someone. On the outside looking in, Emily Prentiss had it all. On the inside looking out, she was about to lose it.

“I love you, Emily.”

“I love you too.”

“I'm sorry…shit, you told me to stop apologizing.”

“I know that you mean it, Aaron.” She finally took the rag off her eyes; looked at him. “But when you say it and then turn around and let the same things keep happening how can I believe you anymore.”

“I'm going to call my doctor in the morning; I promise. I always think I can do it myself, that I don’t need help. Sometimes I feel like it’s a sign of weakness when I can't man up and move on. But now I've fractured things that shouldn’t be fractured. I just need to prioritize and put everything in perspective.”

“OK.” She nodded. Emily didn’t want to have this conversation…she’d had it many times before.

“I’ll leave you alone.” Hotch sensed her need to be away from him. He hated it but he sensed it. Bending down to kiss her, he walked out of the bathroom and closed the door.

He didn’t want to sit alone in the bedroom, didn’t want to think too much about something he couldn’t do anything about at the moment. So he walked down the hall to the nursery and looked in on Bree. She was sound asleep in her crib; nearly sleeping through the night now. Her mother dressed her in lavender feet-in pajamas covered in textured butterflies. Not wanting to wake her, but unable to help himself, Hotch moved his hand over her stomach.

When he could feel her breathe it made him smile. It was sad that he was seeing her more often right now when she was asleep. At least she wouldn’t be able to remember this time of him not being there. Maybe by the time Sabrina’s memories formed, her father would be more of a constant in her life. Whispering his love for her, Hotch got out of there before he woke her and suffered Emily’s wrath.

He walked into Jack’s room next, sitting down in the chair by his bed. He was asleep, clutching Constable Bear. His arm in a cast was hanging outside the blankets, having already been signed by Pop-Pop, Natty, Aunt Jessie, Uncle Sam. He was excited about more signatures from friends at school when he went back. Hotch smiled and then frowned, remembering the time he broke his arm as a young boy.

He didn’t want to think about it. He surely didn’t show it off as a badge of honor. He’d climbed the damn box elder tree to get away from his father. Alexander Hotchner was pissed and ready to strike. When he fell out of it, his father left him crying on the grass, holding his arm.

Amelia didn’t come outside to call him for dinner until almost 20 minutes later and rushed him to the hospital. Hotch told the doctor he knew he wasn’t supposed to climb the tree but he couldn’t help himself. Without knowing everything that happened, his mother still knew he was lying. Hotch wasn’t sure if he was grateful or bitter that she never called him on it.

“Hi Daddy.” Jack sounded drowsy as he opened his eyes.

“Hey there, buddy. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Whatcha doing?” Jack asked.

“I'm watching you sleep.” Hotch replied.

“Why?”

“I'm sorry Jack. I'm sorry that I wasn’t there today when you got hurt.”

“Pop-Pop took me for ice cream. We got caramel, whipped cream, and even extra cherries. We sang the Julio song on the way home. When he got there I wasn’t scared anymore.”

“I bet it was pretty scary.” Hotch said.

“The bus driver was crying, but the policemen were really nice. We got to ride in their car and the siren was on, Daddy. And the nurse gave me a lollipop.” Jack smiled.

“I love you, Jack.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

Hotch bent to kiss his cheek, telling him to go back to sleep. Jack nodded and closed his eyes. Hotch wanted to stay until he was really asleep; wanted to keep him safe and secure. Emily walked into the room, giving him what he referred to as ‘the look’. No matter how much they wanted to, they made an agreement not to linger over the children while they slept. Well hell, Hotch had broken enough rules tonight, why not that one.

She held out his hand for him and Hotch took it, getting up from the chair. With one more look at Jack, he let Emily lead him out of the room. He wrapped his arms around her from behind in the hallway and they walked step for step back into the master bedroom. Hotch couldn’t believe it but he was still wearing his work clothes. The jacket and tie were gone but he was still in full Hotch uniform. Emily wore only her bathrobe; she climbed into bed still wearing it. The satellite radio played an ancient Styx song as Hotch undressed.

There were many things he needed to fix; get right. Tonight needed to end though. Maybe Emily was right…a three day weekend with his family might be the best thing. Hotch knew he didn’t want to fight anymore and he could tell by the look in his wife’s eyes that she didn’t either. They were supposed to be poised to battle the demons together, not battle each other. He hated fighting with Emily so that was over as of now. She was right about this and he was wrong.

“Come to bed, Agent Hotchner.” She said. He seemed to go deep into his head. She wondered if he even knew he was standing in the middle of the floor just holding his slacks.

Hotch smiled, finished undressing, and slid under the sheet with her.

“Gonna take off the robe?” he asked, turning out the light. He decided to leave the low music playing; it set a soothing tone.

“Nope.” Emily kissed him. “Goodnight, Aaron; I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. Goodnight.”

***

  



End file.
